In addition to its duties to make and appropriate funds, the Legislature has a responsibility to investigate other areas of government, said Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, the bill's sponsor.

Rep. Merrill Nelson, R-Grantsville, argued that another committee is unnecessary because existing committees can handle everything the new panel would be tasked to do.

"We do not need to create another layer of government over them," he said.

The original legislation included counties and cities in the proposed new committee's purview. Stratton removed local governments from the version of the bill that passed Tuesday 44-29. It now goes to the Senate.